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Agroprocessing News

By: News24Wire 11th August 2016
Sea Harvest has managed to secure control of Mareterram, a vertically integrated agri-business listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, the company said on Wednesday. Sea Harvest will own an effective 56% of Mareterram, after shareholders accepted a bid from Sea Harvest totalling approximately... →

By: Simon Sonnekus5th August 2016
About 1 000 Indian runner ducks have been employed by Stellenbosch-based wine farm Vergnoegd Wine Estate to eradicate white dune snails and other insects which inhabit and feed on the vines in the vineyard. According to Vergenoegd winemaker and viticulturist, Marlize Jacobs, the ducks – which... →

DUCK ARMY Around 1 000 Indian Runner ducks have been employed to eradicate the white dune snail population at Vergenoegd Wine farm in Stellenbosch

By: Simon Sonnekus5th August 2016
South Africa-based fertiliser company Advanced Agri has expanded its fertiliser range by introducing two specialised products for various farming disciplines. According to Advanced Agri director Frank Winder, the EcoCal range for crop farmers and Graze range for livestock farmers are... →

By: Simon Sonnekus5th August 2016
The next five months and the following planting season will be critical for farmers who have been affected by the devastating drought which crippled the agriculture sector recently. According to agricultural organisation AgriSA CEO Omri van Zyl, farmers need to see out the winter and hope for... →

By: Tracy Hancock1st August 2016
JSE-listed Pioneer Foods has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of UK-based Streamfoods, wholly owned by the Wellness Group of companies, for £7.5-million. The acquisition was in line with the stated strategic intent of acquiring and bolstering Pioneer Foods’... →

By: Megan van Wyngaardt27th July 2016
South Africa is ranked at 47 out of the 113 countries in this year’s Global Food Security Index (GFSI), reflecting a one-position decline from 2015, but an overall 0.6 point score increase.
The country ranked first among its sub-Saharan African peers and landed in the top ten of... →

By: Tracy Hancock26th July 2016
Multinational beverage and brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has made a revised and final offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of JSE-listed SABMiller. This development follows a July 22 conversation between SABMiller’s chairperson and that of AB InBev on the... →

By: News24Wire 22nd July 2016
Ongoing drought in South Africa has disrupted food production and threatens to push food prices up, agriculture deputy minister Bheki Cele said on Thursday. He said recent rain has not helped improve water levels in the country’s dams and as a result farmers were unable to produce enough food to... →

By: News24Wire 12th July 2016
Countries that tax agricultural sectors are normally poor. Countries which subsidise the agricultural sector are normally rich. This is according to agricultural economist professor Mohammad Karaan, a speaker at National Treasury’s Public Economics Winter School being held at the University of... →

By: Tracy Hancock8th July 2016
National Treasury published a policy paper and proposals on the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) for public comment on Friday. The problem of obesity had grown over the past 30 years in South Africa, resulting in the country being ranked the most obese country in sub-Saharan Africa. →

By: Tracy Hancock4th July 2016
JSE-listed Famous Brands plans to capitalise on the tomato paste shortage in South Africa through its acquisition of a tomato paste manufacturing plant, Cape Concentrate, in the Coega precinct, in the Eastern Cape, for an undisclosed amount. Funded from cash reserves, the acquisition was in line... →

Famous Brands group strategic adviser responsible for merger and acquisition activity Kevin Hedderwick

By: Mia Breytenbach1st July 2016
South Africa has to find ways of ensuring that small businesses participate actively in the global market, through not only export facilitation, trade exhibitions and market access opportunities obtained through preferential market opportunities but also through joint ventures (JVs), foreign... →

Photo by Duane Daws
LINDIWE ZULU
South Africa’s trade policy intends to take advantage of Africa’s improved growth prospects by increasing exports of goods and services to the region

By: David Oliveira1st July 2016
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR’s) Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC), a biomanufacturing innovation hub aimed at supporting small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) to enter the local bio-industry, will have provided about R50-million worth of... →

By: Dylan Slater1st July 2016
Several key factors make doing business in Botswana attractive, according to Botswana high commissioner Zenene Sinombe, who posed several key sentiments of business opportunities during the launch of inter-country relations promotion platform the Africa Matchmaking in May. →

By: Anine Kilian29th June 2016
South Africa is the twelfth-greatest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the world, as well as the biggest polluter on the African continent, according to German political foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) South Africa director Renate Tenbusch, speaking at a roundtable event on black... →

By: News24Wire 22nd June 2016
The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of SA (Amie) said on Tuesday it does not agree with the SA Poultry Association (Sapa) that new regulations limiting the practice of injecting chicken with saltwater (brining) would render chicken unaffordable to the poor and hurt the local industry.... →

By: Terence Creamer17th June 2016
South Africa is “satisfied” that the recently signed Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union (EU) will lead to improved market access for some additional South African agricultural products, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said at the weekend, reporting that Cabinet had,... →

By: David Oliveira17th June 2016
Engineering and project management consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV presented an academic paper that highlights the possibilities of water and feedstock recovery for the food and beverage industry at this year’s Water Institute of Southern Africa conference, held last month in Durban. In 2011,... →

By: Mia Breytenbach17th June 2016
While the South African Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) is one of the lead departments for one of the priority interventions of government’s Nine-Point Plan to boost economic growth and create much-needed jobs – unlocking the potential of small, medium-sized and microenterprises... →

Photo by Duane Daws
LINDIWE ZULU
The Department of Small Business Development has set a target of increasing the . . . jobs created by the small business sector from 7.1-million to 9.2-million by 2019

By: Schalk Burger17th June 2016
The increasing use of agricultural technologies in Africa, as reported in a survey of 25 large agricultural companies, can dramatically improve yields, food security and product quality, as well as provide raw materials for new products in new markets, says PwC Africa Agribusiness industry leader... →

By: Samantha Herbst15th June 2016
As a result of the ongoing countrywide drought, South African cane production declined during the 2015/16 season by more than 16.3% to 14.81-million tons, following an 11.4% reduction recorded in the previous season. “The decrease will impact on the sustainability of the rural economy in both... →

By: Anine Kilian15th June 2016
Access to funding and finding equity to progress their ideas from concept to roll-out remained a challenge for South African entrepreneurs, Black Business Council CEO Mohale Ralebitso said on Tuesday. “The ‘own contribution’ component [for entrepreneurs and start-ups] is a major challenge that we... →

By: Reuters14th June 2016
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is helping Mauritius to assist the island country “step up its fight against fruit flies threatening valuable crops” the IAEA said on Monday. The IAEA has given Mauritius a new irradiator that would help it to accomplish this purpose by using the... →

By: Nadine James10th June 2016
Industrial automation solutions supplier Omron launched 49 new best-in-class Adept Robots in April. The robots – now available in 39 countries; including South Africa – are integrated with Omron sensors, safety components and machine automation controllers that were all designed to simplify the... →

RISE OF THE MACHINES The robots' applications are relevant to most packaging lines

By: David Oliveira10th June 2016
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has provided R550-million in finance to five companies that have been approved for participation in the department’s Black Industrialists (BI) programme, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies revealed. Speaking at a media briefing following the... →

By: Dylan Slater10th June 2016
State-owned company for the development of 11 500 ha of industrial land in Port Elizabeth, the Coega Development Corporation (CDC), last month announced a R22-million expansion project by agroprocessing company Dynamic Commodities to be developed in Zone 3 of the Coega industrial development zone... →

MULTI-USER FACILITY
A multi-user facility worth R86-million was recently launched in Zone 3 of the Coega industrial development zone

By: Anine Kilian9th June 2016
To stimulate the growth of the agroprocessing sector, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is focusing on the development and revitalisation of South Africa’s agroprocessing infrastructure. As part of its Critical Agroprocessing Infrastructure Support Programme, the department was engaging... →

By: Natasha Odendaal9th June 2016
Speakers participating in an agriculture-focused panel at the second yearly Vision 2030 Summit, on Thursday painted an image of smallholder farmers battling out the current slump that threatens their survival. Discussing the challenges facing small-scale farmers in South Africa, Three Star... →

By: David Oliveira1st June 2016
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has provided R550-million in finance to five companies that have been approved for participation in the department’s Black Industrialists (BI) programme, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies has revealed. Speaking at a media briefing following the... →

By: African News Agency 31st May 2016
The African National Congress (ANC) has resolved to move the Land Bank to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries after it was placed under the Treasury, the party said on Tuesday. “It is moving to agriculture, where it belongs. The bank was transferred to national Treasury to stabilise... →

By: Tracy Hancock30th May 2016
JSE-listed sugar producer Tongaat Hulett’s cash flow from operations took a significant blow in the year ended March 31, owing to its sugar production reducing by a further 291 000 t to 1.023-million tons from 1.314-million tons and 1.424-million tons in 2015 and 2014 respectively. Tongaat Hulett... →

By: Tracy Hancock30th May 2016
While the current adverse trading environment is widely acknowledged and reported on, JSE-listed Famous Brands says it remains optimistic and enthusiastic about the opportunities presented by the food service industry in South Africa. The company advised shareholders on Monday that South Africa... →

By: African News Agency 27th May 2016
Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist Tony Elumelu on Friday pledged his support to transforming the agricultural sector in Africa, saying entrepreneurs in agriculture should be up-skilled with more focus given to vocational and technical education. Elumelu, chairperson of Heirs... →

By: David Oliveira27th May 2016
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched the R90-million Biomanufacturing Industry Development Centre (BIDC) at the CSIR’s main campus, in Pretoria, earlier this month. The R90-million investment had resulted in new infrastructure, pilot-scale equipment, enterprise... →

By: Mia Breytenbach27th May 2016
To highlight export possibilities for the agriculture and agroprocessing sectors, and target entrepreneurs, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), the Joburg Market and various partners collaborated to host the Joburg Market Day for local and international stakeholders. Held last month at the Joburg... →

Photo by Bloomberg
MARKET CONTRIBUTOR
About 1.3-million tonnes of fruit and vegetables a year are sold at the Joburg market, which yielded a R5.3-billion turnover for the 2014/15 financial year

By: Tracy Hancock26th May 2016
Although the South African potato processing industry is growing rapidly to meet increasingly strong demand fuelled by the brisk growth in food services and the convenience market, JSE-listed Famous Brands says it lagged its peer industries in developed countries, illustrating the growth... →